India’s push toward a 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity target and its goals under the National Green Hydrogen Mission could create more than 44 lakh full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, according to a new independent study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) India.
The report, titled Driving Energy Transition: Workforce, Skills, and Gender in India’s Renewable Energy Sector, was developed with technical guidance from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). It draws on a primary survey of companies conducted during 2024–25 across the solar, wind, bioenergy, and hydropower sectors. The study introduces new FTE employment coefficients to estimate workforce intensity across clean energy technologies and project phases, including manufacturing, deployment, and operations.
India has already become the world’s third-largest renewable energy installer and achieved its target of 50% cumulative electric power capacity from non-fossil sources in 2025, five years ahead of schedule.
Speaking on the findings, MNRE Secretary Shri Santosh Kumar Sarangi highlighted that workforce participation is central to the green transition, noting that India’s economic growth and sustainability objectives can progress together, supported by continued expansion in renewable energy capacity.
CEEW CEO Dr Arunabha Ghosh emphasized that India’s energy transition must also be viewed as a workforce transition, highlighting the importance of job creation, skill development, domestic supply chains, and inclusive participation. He noted that distributed systems such as rooftop solar generate significantly higher employment intensity than utility-scale projects.
Rooftop solar emerges as key job driver
The study identifies rooftop solar as the largest contributor to employment within the clean energy sector. Of the 6.5 lakh clean energy jobs added between FY23 and FY26, rooftop solar accounted for 62%, followed by PM-KUSUM at 16.3%, biomass power at 12.6%, and ground-mounted solar at 6%.
Rooftop solar is also significantly more labour-intensive due to its decentralized nature, requiring installation at individual homes, shops, and buildings. According to the study, it generates around 44 times more FTE job-years per MW than utility-scale solar—approximately 45 FTE job-years per MW compared to 1 FTE job-year per MW for ground-mounted solar and 0.6 for wind projects.
NRDC India Country Director Dipa Singh Bagai noted that distributed renewable energy, especially rooftop solar, can generate employment across urban and rural areas, but stressed the need for structured workforce planning, reliable data systems, and stronger industry–training partnerships.
Gender gap persists in clean energy workforce
The report also highlights a significant gender imbalance in the sector. Women make up only 11% of the workforce in solar and wind manufacturing and deployment. Participation is highest in rooftop solar at 15%, followed by solar manufacturing (13%), floating solar (12%), and ground-mounted solar (11%).
It further finds that 61% of women in the sector are employed in non-technical roles such as administration, human resources, and accounting.
Skills demand expected to rise sharply
The study estimates that around 13 lakh FTE jobs will be concentrated in operations, maintenance, and manufacturing roles over the lifetime of clean energy projects and facilities. It also notes that nearly 60% of deployment-related jobs require highly skilled or semi-skilled workers, rising to 80–90% in manufacturing.
Experts caution that realizing this employment potential will require stronger technical training systems, hands-on field exposure, and clear career progression pathways to support India’s expanding renewable energy ecosystem.
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